WinnDems News

Americans are avoiding hospitals and clinics by the millions, even when they shouldn’t, and many experts expect a jump in preventable disease diagnoses after the COVID crisis eases. Paradoxically, the pandemic may have been good for some heart patients, however. http://dlvr.it/RckR53

Early in the pandemic, insurers expected the costs of treating COVID-19 would vastly increase medical spending. Instead, non-COVID care has plummeted and insurers have pocketed the result. Still, few industry observers are predicting broad-based premium cuts in 2021, though some health plans have proposed lowering their rates. http://dlvr.it/RckR4y

This statement is taken from a video in which a group of doctors air unproven conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. Dr. Immanuel's claims were among the most inaccurate. And, before it was removed from social media platforms, thee video was viewed millions of times. President Donald Trump retweeted it. http://dlvr.it/RckR4H

We’re releasing our public health infrastructure data on Github for journalists, researchers and interested readers to use. http://dlvr.it/RcgSvz

Around the country, Medicaid enrollment is up as people who have lost jobs during the pandemic seek health insurance. Expanding eligibility for Missouri’s program, which could help thousands of recently unemployed residents, will be on the ballot Tuesday. http://dlvr.it/RcflK8

Will Lightbourne, the new director of the California Department of Health Care Services, says government must address the racial disparities laid bare by COVID-19 and improve care for the state’s most vulnerable residents. http://dlvr.it/RcflJw

In dealing with her son’s violent murder, fear over the coronavirus pandemic and the stress of coping with systemic racism, Beverly Grant has found strength and peace through yoga. The Denver native is part of a yoga co-op seeking to bring the ancient practice to more diverse communities as a health care tool. http://dlvr.it/RcflDX

WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) helped pass the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020. This legislation authorizes Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) water resources projects to strengthen our locks and dams, improve inland waterways, invest in flood damage reduction and update water infrastructure. “Our inland waterways are critical to delivering tons […] The post Bustos Helps Pass Bipartisan Water Resources Development Act appeared first on Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. http://dlvr.it/RcdXJm

The FDA must approve any coronavirus vaccine before it’s widely distributed, but political pressure could cloud the decision. http://dlvr.it/RcZwR6

During the pandemic, nearly 700,000 additional Texans have lost health insurance. The Lone Star State already had more uninsured people than any other. It has given people with COVID symptoms pause before seeking medical care. http://dlvr.it/RcX48w

These workers rely on public assistance — and, sometimes, a side gig to get by. http://dlvr.it/RcW9ml

Newly released employment data underscores the lingering toll the pandemic has taken on a range of outpatient services in California and across the U.S., from pediatric and family medical practices to dental offices, medical labs and home health care. http://dlvr.it/RcW9m8

For the first time since 2017, Medicaid enrollment has begun increasing again, but not by as much as many analysts expected. http://dlvr.it/RcW9dw

Mutual aid groups, in which volunteers give their time and resources to help others in the community, are seeing a resurgence in New York with the coronavirus pandemic. http://dlvr.it/RcRM6Q

While Congress negotiates liability protection for reopening businesses as part of its latest pandemic bailout package, some employers are already requiring workers to sign waivers agreeing not to sue if they get COVID-19 on the job. http://dlvr.it/RcRM5p

Although racial minorities, older people and those with underlying medical conditions are most at risk from COVID-19, they’ve historically been the least likely to be included in clinical trials for treatments for serious diseases. Will that change with COVID-19? http://dlvr.it/RcRM52

Health plan network changes occur all the time as doctors retire, relocate or leave networks. Unfortunately, patients may be the last to find out about such changes because there are often few requirements that either providers or insurers inform them. http://dlvr.it/RcRLz4

Newsletter editor Lauren Olsen wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to. http://dlvr.it/RcJPKG

Time and again over the past two decades, peace officers have targeted demonstrators with munitions designed only to stun and stop. Protests this year in reaction to George Floyd’s death in police custody have reignited a controversy surrounding their use. http://dlvr.it/RcGkXy

There’s a theory now being embraced by President Donald Trump that the Supreme Court’s recent DACA decision makes it harder for a new president to undo the executive action of a predecessor. He cited it in a recent interview, saying that finding gave him the power to issue new health care and immigration plans. And some legal scholars disagree. http://dlvr.it/RcGdGc

Older adults with the ability to use technology have more access to virtual social interactions and telehealth services, and more opportunities to secure essential supplies online. Those who don’t know how to use it or can’t afford it are at greater risk of social isolation, forgoing medical care and being without food or other necessary items. http://dlvr.it/RcGdBV

A lab assistant who spoke out about employee safety. A disease intervention specialist who hoped to follow her mother into nursing. A father of three who juggled jobs at three nursing homes. These are some of the people just added to “Lost on the Frontline,” a special series from The Guardian and KHN that profiles health care workers who died of COVID-19. http://dlvr.it/RcGXjg

President Donald Trump has, for now at least, become a realist on the extent of the COVID-19 crisis around the country, and he is urging Americans to socially distance and wear masks. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Republicans facing a July 31 deadline are scrambling to come together on their version of the next COVID relief bill. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Tami Luhby of CNN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews NPR’s Pam Fessler, author of the new book “Carville’s Cure,” which traces the history of the United States’ only federal leprosarium. http://dlvr.it/RcDcGz

State officials had projected that 2 million Californians would join Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program for low-income people, by July because of the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19. Yet enrollment has barely budged, and why is unclear. http://dlvr.it/RcBq3M

As colleges and universities develop plans for the fall semester amid the coronavirus pandemic, these non-tenured, often part-time instructors find themselves in an especially precarious position. http://dlvr.it/RcBpzV

As the coronavirus threatens the nation’s public health army, an outbreak in Maryland reflects the tension between serving the community and protecting workers from a deadly disease. http://dlvr.it/Rc6zzr

'Germicidal' ultraviolet light technology has a proven track record against indoor transmission of tuberculosis and other airborne microbes. It's now being used in some restaurants and on subways. http://dlvr.it/Rc6zts

With millions out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic, fewer payroll taxes are coming in to help keep Medicare’s trust fund intact. http://dlvr.it/Rc6zpL

Bill Includes Military Pay Raise, Support for Gold Star Families, National Guardsmen, Women Servicemembers WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the powerful House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, helped pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) out of the House. The bill includes key provisions to support Gold Star families and spouses […] The post Bustos Helps Pass Strong National Defense Bill appeared first on Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. http://dlvr.it/Rc5ZTX

Bill enhances student loan benefits so National Guard and Reserve members qualify for full student loan repayments Bill Text | One Pager WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (Ill.-17), Deb Haaland (NM-01) and Steven Palazzo (Miss.-04) introduced a bipartisan bill that enhances student loan benefits so National Guard and Reserve members qualify for full student loan repayments. […] The post Bustos, Haaland, Palazzo Introduce Bipartisan Fix to National Guard Student Loan Repayment Program appeared first on Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. http://dlvr.it/Rc5HWh

The Food and Drug Administration released new “temporary guidance” for manufacturers facing supply chain shortages that allows them to make some ingredient substitutions without changing food labels. The pandemic had already made finding trusted foods difficult for some people with allergies. Now they're worrying about what's actually in their go-to products. http://dlvr.it/Rc33hm

Under the federal COBRA law, people who lose health coverage because of a layoff or a reduction in their hours generally have 60 days to decide whether to pay to maintain that coverage. But under new regulations, the clock won’t start ticking until the government says the coronavirus national emergency is over, and then consumers will have 120 days to act. http://dlvr.it/RbzNRx

Additional guidance issued late last month by the Trump administration added to the confusion. Some consumers may find themselves unexpectedly on the hook for the cost of a test. http://dlvr.it/RbzNQv

Three people around Denver have confirmed cases of trench fever, and another person is suspected of having the rare disease, carried by body lice. A scourge during World War I, the illness is the latest problem to emerge as everyone's attention is diverted to COVID-19. http://dlvr.it/RbzNMz

Although younger people are hospitalized and die less frequently than their elders when infected with COVID-19, their cases are harder to trace. As a result, the virus is spreading uncontrollably throughout much of Southern California. Even hospital staffs are affected by community spread. http://dlvr.it/RbzNJK

With Bustos Priorities, Defense Appropriations Bill Heads to House Floor for Final Passage WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) helped pass a Defense funding bill for Fiscal Year 2021 out of the powerful House Appropriations Committee that would work to expand manufacturing work at the Rock Island Arsenal, protect the Peoria 182nd Airlift Wing’s […] The post Bustos Secures Wins for Rock Island Arsenal, Peoria Air National Guard in Defense Appropriations Bill appeared first on Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. http://dlvr.it/RbrZh4

WATCH: With Significant Bustos Wins, Legislation Heads to House Floor for Final Passage WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) helped pass the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Fiscal Year 2021 funding package in the powerful Appropriations Committee, prioritizing communities of color, rural health care, mental health care, high-paying jobs and a quality education in the […] The post VIDEO: Bustos Prioritizes Rural Health, Communities of Color in $196.5 Billion Appropriations Bill appeared first on Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. http://dlvr.it/RbrZcT

KHN's Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber drills through the vital health care policy stories of the week, so you don't have to. http://dlvr.it/Rbqzdm

Missouri Hospital Association says the switch of data collection from the CDC to a new HHS contractor is "a major disruption." In Kansas, the move likely will delay hospitalization data. http://dlvr.it/RbqzZt

Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes initially opposed the Wolf Point Wild Horse Stampede this year, worrying about hundreds of people coming to their reservation for the rodeo amid coronavirus concerns. But the annual event was on private land and went ahead, highlighting the reopening tensions between resuming normal economic activities and protecting the vulnerable. http://dlvr.it/RbpDNR

Health departments and other public agencies tasked with protecting the nation from disease-carrying mosquitoes are overstretched amid the coronavirus pandemic — even as the nation is told it’s safest to be outside. http://dlvr.it/RbmKf0

Case counts for COVID-19 are rising in nearly every state, yet a major campaign by the Trump administration this past week was an attempt to discredit Dr. Anthony Fauci, a trusted voice in public health. Meanwhile, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s surprise decision to protect abortion rights, there’s been a flurry of activity on reproductive health issues in lower federal courts. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Erin Mershon of Stat News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. http://dlvr.it/Rbm8N9

Under ordinary circumstances, these phases of vaccine development can take years to complete. But now, during the age of coronavirus, the timeline is being shortened. Here's an inventory of where things stand. http://dlvr.it/RbkMdk

About 1,000 children worldwide have had the condition known as MIS-C — Multisymptom Inflammatory Syndrome in Children. Children's hospitals around the U.S. are trying to keep tabs on young people after they recover from the ailment, to gauge any long-term effects. http://dlvr.it/RbkMXh

Some districts want to bring everyone back to the classroom and some are planning distance-only learning, while most others are settling on one of a variety of options in the middle. Whatever their leanings, they all face vast, troubling uncertainty. http://dlvr.it/RbfVrz

Recently, the idea has triggered a lot of conspiracy-theory talk. But it’s actually a tried-and-true public health tool being applied to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. http://dlvr.it/RbfVkL

Even as most U.S. states and authorities reimpose many of the restrictions they had prematurely lifted, public health experts say you can still have a safe social life — just not the one you were used to before the pandemic hit. http://dlvr.it/RbZkTc

This appears to be an overstatement. http://dlvr.it/RbZkHf

With Bustos Wins, Legislation Aims to Make Communities Safer and Healthier through Clean Water WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) helped deliver billions in funding for water infrastructure after passing a comprehensive Interior-Environment funding bill out of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. “When I heard from small town mayors during the past year, one […] The post Bustos Secures Water Infrastructure Funding in Appropriations Bill appeared first on Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. http://dlvr.it/RbYLhM

Democrats want to bind employers to follow a safety plan, while Republicans seek to shield employers and doctors from lawsuits. http://dlvr.it/RbXYny

Attorneys say some state workers’ compensation laws leave workers and families struggling for benefits after a COVID illness or death. http://dlvr.it/RbVtlF